Payment Processing

Credit – Debit – EMV - ApplePay - Google Wallet

We strive to provide solutions that meet the technical challenges of today’s ever changing payment processing landscape. There are many important aspects to consider such as costs, features, hardware, customer service, reliability, and up time. We can be your guide to navigate these choices and help you get through the nonsense and bad business practices from many providers that may knock on your door.

Since we are not the processor our advice is independent and honest. We have worked hard to find and maintain relationships with high quality providers with integrity. We have a the technical knowledge and understanding of the industry to assist you with this complicated decision and look forward to that conversation when you are ready.

We offer three merchant processing companies that work with Artisan without any additional software (or fees) required. If you decide you want to continue with your current processor and BYOP (bring your own processor), purchase our Payment Processing license and you can connect to our agnostic gateway solution. Our solutions offer you:

Card on File Option Available. Repeat Sales/Returns without card present. Card on File is Safe. Store personnel does not have access to card data because it is NOT stored locally, rather on your processors systems.

Offer Smart Returns without requiring original card.

Capture Card Holder Name for use in Artisan customer record.

Dramatically less hassle.

Faster approvals.

Very Competitive Rates and Hardware Options.

Common Questions

I am an existing customer. What about me?

We’re ready for existing customers can transition their account to EMV. It is critical to help protect from fraud and charge-backs. Please contact us for details and click here for the latest updates.

How long does it take to get a merchant account?

The world of card processing is complicated, especially now with the new PCI (Payment Card Industry) Security Standards. CerTek makes the process simple and easy. We suggest that you don’t put off acquiring your merchant account until the last minute. Although we have pulled off some miracles with store openings, you should allow at least 2 weeks to get your new merchant account setup and tested, no matter who you get your account from.

How does the process work without a credit card machine?

Payment Card processing in Artisan works by, you the merchant, swiping a card into a small magnetic stripe reader (MSR) that connects to a USB port. The transaction request then gets sent to the gateway over a secure internet connection, who then sends the transaction on to MasterCard/Visa/AMEX. A result is then transmitted back. If the card was approved, then a receipt prints out automatically. If the card was declined, then an error is displayed with a message from the bank. In the unlikely event that a response is not received from the bank, then Artisan will send out a query to see the result and handle that accordingly.

What are your merchant account fees?

In today’s world, almost every type of card transaction gets a different rate. It depends on a number of factors including the issuing bank, the cardholder, the qualifying information (whether it was swiped or not, etc.), whether it is debit or credit, and on and on. Any provider that quotes you one specific percentage is misleading you. These rates vary for all processors because the big banks are in control of the complex pricing scheme. All merchant processors pay the same rate to the banks. In order to give you an idea of what you will be paying, you will need to speak to the account advisors from our perferred merchant providers. Click on the Get Started links below or your CerTek sales representative will be happy to introduce them to you.

Can I use my existing merchant provider?

Yes, you can, but… we have searched for the best solutions to make sure your transactions at your store run smoothly. We offer the above three merchant processing companies that work with Artisan without any additional software (or fees) required.

However, sometimes you may need our fourth solution where you can bring your own processor by using the gateway services from BridgePay.

BridgePay, formerly T-Gate Payment Systems, have been exemplary in their ability to provide a smooth transistion into their systems whether you are converting from other software or a machine. Their 24/7 support is on par with the high quaility support you receive from CerTek. There are setup and ongoing monthly/transaction fees for this service. Additionally you will need to purchase the Secure Payment Processing License for Artisan (SPP). This solution is the most flexible in that you can choose most any processor you want and switch at any time (for a small setup fee).If you are in a relationship with your current processor that you can’t get out of, then this may be your best solution.

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What is the “Card on File” Feature?

Since Artisan does not store full credit cards in any manner, we rely on the merchant gateway providers (PayPros, Payment Logistics, & BridgePay) to handle that task. So if you are using one of them, then Artisan will store a “token” that can be used in conjunction with your account token to allow the reuse of a card on a new transaction. You have to sign up for this feature and purchase the Advanced Billing license for Artisan and then deliberately store the card for that customer. It is easy to use, but difficult to accidentally use the wrong card. Common uses of the Card on File feature is for monthly payments on accounts including layaways or if your customers phone or email orders. Online store orders are usually processed online directly. You should not use this feature as a convenience to customers that come into your store and are too lazy to pull their card out of their wallet. You will pay higher fees for transactions processed from Cards on File, because the card is not considered present.

Why do I need any of this anyway?

Many businesses have decided that they must accept payment cards (credit & debit) in order to compete. Additionally, credit cards offer the business owner a safer alternative to extending credit to their customers. In order to accept this form of payment you must have a Merchant Account through one of the many providers. These providers will in turn communicate with one of the small handful of companies that communicate with Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, and American Express directly. So as you can see there are many companies involved in between the card member and the big credit card companies.

All the players have to be working together to ensure your payment transaction is handled properly. When you swipe your customer’s card you will either get an approval or decline from your processor. If approved, you will get 2 receipts. One receipt for the customer to sign and you keep on file, the other for the customer to keep. At the end of the day you will settle your batch with the processor and they will will deposit the money into your checking account at your local bank in about 1 – 3 days. Then they will also deduct from your account a percentage (based on a complicated formula) their fees for conducting the transaction and accepting the risk that the card holder will actually pay them back. The rates do vary company to company, but not as much as they all would claim. There are many sharks in this industry and CerTek has worked long and hard to make sure we offer very reputable companies. We stake our reputation on them everyday. If you ever have a problem you can’t resolve with one of our providers, we will do everything we can to assist. We can honestly say that in the last 10 years there have only been once or twice we had to jump in.

Do you have more questions or are you ready to get started?

Please call us at 877-723-7835 (press 1 for sales) and we will be happy to guide you.

About

We offer a feature-rich Point-of-Sale application that runs successfully in all kinds of stores from Apparel to Zoos, and much more. Since Artisan fits well with so many industries, it is very likely that we will work well with yours. Call us to learn more about how Artisan can work for your specific requirements.